“Prayer for Unity in the Family of God”
I am reminded of the song, “I Need You, You Need Me” by Hezekiah Walker. I would like to share a couple of lines from the lyrics of the song: “You are important to me, I need you to survive” and “I pray for you, you pray for me.” We need each other. God desires a relationship with every one of us individually, but He also requires unity among the body of Christ.
Fellowship and unity are essential to our walk with God. “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Praying the Word for Unity:
Lord, give us a strong and steadfast desire to gather together faithfully: in church services, house meetings, prayer meetings, camp meetings, etc. As we gather together, help us to allow the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit to operate through us so that we can be a blessing to our brothers and sisters in Christ, provoking one another unto love and to good works (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Lord, help us to continue steadfastly in the truth and fellowship, that we would break the bread of your Word together as well as share meals together in hospitality. Lord, help us to pray together in unity so that the results of these meetings will compare to those mentioned in Acts 2:42-47. Let’s pray that as we are united together, wonders and signs will occur; that we would share our abundance with those in need; that we would be in one accord when we gather together; that we would praise You above all else, desiring Your presence in our midst; and as we follow this pattern, that many souls will be added to the church on a daily basis.
Jesus prayed for unity in the church in John 17. Lord, we thank You for Your prayer for unity to be developed among Your believers. Lord, give us an understanding of Your heartbeat for unity that You prayed for as we read Your intercessory prayer that reaches to our present day. Help us to receive the unity You desire among us. “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:21).
The church began in a spirit of unity in Acts 2:1, “they were all with one accord in one place.” Lord, we pray that You would bind us together in unity as we gather together to pray. Lord, You have promised a latter-day outpouring of the Holy Ghost. We want to have unity such as was experienced on the Day of Pentecost. As we unite together in prayer, we ask that the Holy Ghost will be poured out on all flesh.
Lord, grant that we would have a love for our brothers and sisters that compares to Philemon’s toward Jesus and for all saints. Paul wrote the following in Philemon verses 4-7, “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” (ESV) When we have a steadfast love for one another, such as is described here, unity will surely be the lasting result.
Wendy Gerky
WNOP District Prayer Coordinator
Rocky Mountain District
(Information from UPCI World Network of Prayer – Prayer Connect Newsletter)